HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS INFECTION AND HEPATITIS-C PATHOLOGY

To investigate the possible influence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on hepatitis C virus-related liver disease, liver morp hology was evaluated in 160 HBsAg-negative patients with chronic hepat itis C, including 68 HIV-positive and 92 HIV-negative cases. No differ ences were detected in the severity of necro-inflammatory hepatic lesi ons between HIV-negative and HIV-positive patients when the CD4+ lymph ocytes count exceeded 400 cells/mm(3). In contrast, HIV-positive patie nts with CD4+ lymphocytes below 400/mm(3) showed a significantly lower grade of portal inflammation and piecemeal necrosis. These results su ggest that liver lesions in hepatitis C may largely depend on immunome diated mechanisms.